Automatic electrically-controlled railway-switch



No. 6l2,702. Patented Oct. l8 lass. n. v. CHEATHAM. AUTOMATICELECTRICALLY CONTROLLED RAILWAY SWITCH.

(Application filed Mar. 12, 1898.)

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No. 6|2,702. Patented Oct. l8, I898.

R. CHEATHAM. AUTUMATICELEGTRICALLY CONTROLLED RAILWAY SWITCH(Application filed Mar. 12, 1898.) (N o M o d e l.)

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NITED STATES ATENT Enron.

ROBERT V. OHEATI-IAM, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 612,702, dated October18, 1898.

Application filed March 12, 1898.

To a whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT V. CHEATHAM, a citizen of the United States,residing at Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State ofKentucky, have invented new and useful Improvements in AutomaticElectrically-Controlled Railway-Switches, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to automatic electrically-controlledrailway-switches, and it has for some of its objects to simplifythecircuits and to provide for operatingthe switching mechanism bothwith and without the current being on the car and in such manner thatthe motorman does not have to know which way the switch-point is turned.This is agreat advantage on a dark night and when the frog is coveredwith water, as during a heavy rain.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will hereinafter appear inconnection with the peculiar features of construction and novelcombinations of devices in an electrically-operated railway-switchmechanism, as hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

In the annexed drawings, illustrating the invention, Figure 1 is a sideelevation of a trolley-wire attachment comprising two parallelcontact-strips and an electromagnet .mounted on the support for saidstrips. Fig.

2 is an elevation of the opposite side of said trolley- Wire attachment,showing the other contact-strip. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of thetrolley attachment. Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section ofsolenoid or ground magnet and its housing, showing the connection of thesolenoid-core with the movable switchpoint and also improved means forexcluding water. Fig. 5 is a plan of the same with the cover of theouter box removed. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the circuit connections.

In the drawings the reference-numeral 1 designates a trolley-wire, and 2is a trolley wheel carried by the trolley-arm 3 of an electric car.Above the trolley wire 1, at a point adjacentto a railway-switch,thereis a wooden strip 4, that is provided in its under side with alongitudinal channel 5, having depending flanges 6 on each side. Theseflanges 6 are extended the greater part of the length of said woodenstrip, its ends being unflanged Serial No. 673,626. (No model.)

and simply reduced in vertical thickness.

The wooden strip 4 may be supported by means of a hook 7, suspended inany convenient manner from a span-wire .8, having any suitable supports.The ends of the pending supports 9 for the trolley-wire, which isextended longitudinally in the channel 5 on the under side of saidwooden strip.

wooden strip 4 will be provided with two de- To the flanges 6 of thewooden strip 4 there formed with integral upward-inclined ends,

as shown in Fig. 1; but the opposite metallic contact-strip 11, Fig. 2,is straight and is extended along one of the flanges 6 between two slots12 and 13, formed transversely in the under side of the Wooden strip 4.Beyond these slots the contactstrip 11 is supplemented byupward-inclined strips 11 11", Fig. 2, which are also made fromangle-iron. The space or extent of surface covered by the straight strip11, supplemental inclined strips 11 11 and intervening slots 12 13 isequal to the full length of the opposite metallic strip 10 with itsintegral upward-inclined ends.

As shown in Fig. 3, the trolley-wheel 2 is circumferentially grooved forcontact with the under side of the trolley-wire 1 when the said wheel israised to its full extent, and it has a width that enables it to runalong on the two parallel metallic contact-strips 1O 11 and betweentheir flanges when the said wheel reaches the said strips and leaves thetrolleywire.

On the top of the Wooden strip 4 there is secured an electromagnet 14,that is wound with heavy wire. One end of the magnetcoil is connectedwith the trolley-wire by means of a holder 15 at one of the trolley-wiresupports 9, and the other t-e'rminalis fastened, as at 16, to theundivided contact-strip 10, Fig. 1. On top of the electromagnet 14 thereare two slightly-separated metal plates 17 and 18, one above the otherand rigidly fastened to the upper flange of the magnet-spool. To

18, as presently explained. This contact 20 normally rests upwardagainst the upper plate 18; but when the magnet 14 is energized thespring-armature 19 is drawn down until its contact 20 rests on thecontact 17. The stationary end of the spring-armature 19 is connectcd bya wire 21 to the middle section 11 of the divided contact-strip, as at22, Fig. 2. Plates 17 and 18 are respectively connected by wires 23 24to the 1nagnet-coils 25 and 26 of a double solenoid 27, that is locatedadjacent to the railway-switch to be controlled.

The double solenoid 27 comprises a duplex spool having flanged ends 28and an intermediate annular flange 29, Fig. 4, the said spool beingwound with two coils 25 and,26, that are separated by the said centralflange. Through the axis of the solenoid-spool there is loosely passed abrass tube 32, that is extended through both ends of a box or innerhousing 33, in which the solenoid is located. The housing 33 ispreferably of brass and is provided on its under side with lugs 34,engaging with ribs 35 in the bottom of an outer box 36, that ispreferably constructed of castiron. This manner of supporting thesolenoidhousing is designed to prevent longitudinal movement. The brasstube 32 is soldered tight to the ends of the housing or inner box33,Where it projects through the same. \Vithin the brass tube 32 thereis placed a corearmature 37 of such length as to permita suitablelongitudinal movement. To one end of this armature-core 37 there issecured a connecting-bar 38, that projects through one end of the brasstube 32 and is attached by suitable means to an arm 39 of the point-rail40 in a railway-switch. The box 36 is placed transversely to therailway-track, preferably adjacent to a guard-rail 41, and one end ofsaid box has an opening 42 for passage of the arm 39 of the point-rail.In the upper part of this outer box 36 there is a ledge 43 to support acover 44, which is provided with a deep depending flange 45, extendingall around and projecting into said box outside the innersolenoid-housing.

To one projecting end of the brass tube 32 there is secured the largertubular end portion 30 of an elastic rubber bulb 46, that has at itsother end a smaller tubular portion 31, secured to the bar 38, thatconnects with'the arm 39 of the point-rail. One portion of this rubberbulb being secured to the fixed brass tube 32 and the other portion ofsaid bulb being secured around the bar 38, it is obvious that it willprevent access of water to the solenoid-coils, and yet it does notinterfere with the movements of the core-armature. The other end of thebrass tube 32 is curved upward outside the inner box and within thedepending flange 45 on the cover 44 of the outer box. hen all thenecessary connections have been made and before the cover 44 of theouter box 30 is put in place, the inner box 33 is to be filled withparaffin 47, so as to exclude all moisture from the solenoidcoils. Theupturned portion of the brass tube 32 within the flange 45 of the outerboxcover is of great importance in preventing the access of Waterthrough said tube and into the inner box.

In the operation of the railway-switch a motorman wishing to keep themain track will shut off the current to his motor and allow the car torun by momentum while passing under the trolley-wire attachment; but amotorman desiring to take the shunt-track will keep the current on hismotor while passing under the said trolley-wire attachment. Now in thefirst instance where the car is run under the trolley-wire attachmentwith the current shut off from the motor let it be supposed that thetrolley-wheel strikes the up ward-inclined portions of. the parallelmetal- .lic contact-strips at 48, so that by running on these inclinestoward the slot 13 the trolleywheel is brought down away from contactwith the trolley-Wire. When the trolley-wheel crosses the slot 13, it isin contact with both parallel metallic strips 10 and 11, which closesthe circuit of one solenoid-coil 26, because the strip 11 is groundedthrough this coil. The circuit is through the trolley-wire 1, holder 15,electromagnet 14, strip 10 at 16, thence through trolley-wheel 2 intostrip 11, wire 21, spring-armature 19, plates 20 and 18, and throughwire 24, across the street and down a pole and under ground to thesolenoid-coil 26, through which the core-armature 37 is attracted in theproper direction to set the point-rail 40 in position for passage of thecar over the main track. This current is only about three amperes and isnot sufficient to pull the spring-armatu re 19 down from its normallyelevated position. Now to throw the point-rail 40 in the oppositedirection, as for causing the car to pass over the shunttrack, themotorman keeps the current on his car while passing under the strips 10and 11 of the trolley-wire attachment, and thus as soon as thetrolley-wheel strikes the strip 10 at 48, Fig. l, a heavy current istaken from that strip, it being connected to the trolley-Wire throughthe electromagnet 14. This heavy current passing through the magnet 14pulls down the spring-armature 19 from its contact with the plate 18 andinto contact with plate 17, so that when the trolley-wheel proceeds farenough to touch the middle section 11 of the divided strip a currentwill pass from strip 10 through trolley-wheel 2 into this strip-section11, thence through wire 21 to spring-armature 19, plates 20 and 17, andwire 23 to solenoid-coil 25, thereby causing the core-armature 37 to bemoved in the proper direction to shift the point-rail 40 to the requiredposition for passing the car onto the shunt-track. Whenthe trolley-wheelpasses the slot 12, the circuit is broken between the strips 10 and 11and the trolley-wheel rises to the trolley-wire along the upwardinclines, so that when the wheel leaves the end of strip 10 at 49, Fig.1, the car ceases to take ourrent through the elcctromagne't 14, and thespring-armature 19 returns to its normally elevated position.

It will be noticed that where the motorman current which the car-m otordraws, the sprin armature 19 would not be drawn sudiciently hard tocause it to come down.

It will be observed that the metallic contact-strips 10 and 11 areinsulated from each other by reason of being attached to opposite sidesof the longitudinally-channeled wooden strip at, and they are alsonormally insulated from the trolley-wire. The strip 11 is insulated fromits several inclined ends 11 11 at the transverse slots 12 and 13, whichare of the same depth as the longitudinal channel 5 in the under side ofthe wood strip 4. 'The inclined ends 11 11 serve only as guide-bearingsfor the trolley-wheel, and being without electrical connections they arenot actively concerned in the operation of the switch.

With this automatic electrically controlled railway-switch mechanism themotorman does not have to know which way the point-rail 10 is turned. Ifdesiring to keep the main track, it is only necessary that he shut offthe motorcurrent until after passing under the trolleywire attachment;but if he wishes to take the shunt-track he will leave the current on.Every time the trolley-wheel of a car passes 'alon g the contact-strips1 0 and 11 of my trolleywire attachment one solenoid-coil or the otherwill be energized which one will depend upon whether the 'motorman hashis current on or off. If the switch or point rail is already set rightfor him, the same solenoid-coil 25 or 26 will be energized as would berequired in case the switch was not set properly, thus pulling on thecore-armature 37 whet-her it can move or not.

Only two small wires 23 and 24 of but three amperes capacity arerequired to runfrom the plates 17 18 and under ground,while othermethods employing ground-magnets in series with car-motor require muchheavier wires, as well as a larger number.

With this form of electric switch-controlling mechanism there is no aredrawn from the main line to risk the burning away of trolley-wire aswith certain insulated sections of conductors. My trolley-wheel isalways on a metallic contact and does not have to cross dead-blocks thatare liable to Wear and burn out very soon, and there is no difficulty asto leakage of current.

\Vhat I claim. as my invention is- 1. In an electrically-controlledswitch-opcrating mechanism, the combination with atrolley-wire,trolicy-wheel, an d a solenoid having its core armatureconnected with the switch point-rail, of parallel contact-stripssupported at opposite sides of the trolley wire, one of said stripsbeing provided with integral upwardinclincd ends and the other composedof a middle section and several upward-inclined end portions,andcircuits which are completed by engagement of the trolleywheel with theintegral contact strip and middle section of divided contact-strip,substantiall y as described.

2. In an electrically-controlled switch-operating mechanism, thecombination with a trolley-wire, trolley-wheel, and a solenoid havingits core-armature connected with the switch point-rail, of parallelcontact-strips on opposite sides of the trolley-wire and normallyinsulated therefrom, a transversely-slotted and longitudinally-channeled wood strip supported over the trolley-wire and to which the saidparallel contact-strips are attached, one of said contact-strips beingprovided with integral upward-inclined ends and the other composed of amiddle section extended be tween the transverse slots of the wood stripand supplemental upward-inclined portions at the outer sides of saidslots, and circuits which are completed by engagement of thetrolley-wheel with the integral contact-strip and middle sect-ion ofsaid divided strip, substantially as described.

3. I11 an electrically-controlled switcl1opcrating mechanism, thecombination with a trolley-wire, and trolley-wheel, and a doublesolenoid having a core-armature connected with the switch pointrail, ofparallel contactstrips supported at opposite sides of the trolley-wireand having upward-inclined ends, one of said strips being integralthroughout and the other. being divided into three sec tions, anelectromagnet having a spring-armature and two contact-plates for saidarmature, the winding of said electromagnet being connected with thetrolley-wire and with the integral contact-strip, a wire connecting thespring-armature with the middle section of the divided contact-strip,and wires connecting the contact-plates of said spring-armature with thewindings of the double solenoid, substantially as described.

4:. In an electrically-controlled switch-operating mechanism, thecombination with a trolley-wire, trolley-wheel, and a double solenoidhaving its core-armature connected with the switch point-rail, of awooden strip supported above and along the trolley-wire, parallelcontact-strips attached to said wooden strip on opposite sides of thetrolley-wire, one of said contact-strips being provided with integralupward-inclined ends and the other contact-strip being divided andcomprising a straight middle section and severed upwardinclined ends, anelectromagnet mounted on the said wooden strip and having aspringarmature and two separated contact-plates for the free end of saidarmature, the wind- 1 ing of said electromagnet being connected IIO boxor housing for the solenoid, a metal tube extended through the axialopening of the spool and projected beyond the ends of the said inner boxand secured thereto, a corearmature movable in said tube, a barconnecting said core-armature to an arm of the switch point-rail, anelastic bulb through which said connecting-bar passes, said bulb beingsecured on one side to the tube in which the core-armature is placed andon the other side to said conuectingrbar, and means for supplyingelectric energy to the solenoidwindings alternately, substantially asdescribed.

6. In an electrically-controlled switch-operating mechanism, thecombination of an outer box or casing having a cover provided with abell-flan ge depending within said box, a solenoid spool having twoindependent windings, an inner box or housing for the solenoid, a metaltube extended through the axial opening of the spool and projectedbeyond the ends of the inner box and secured thereto, one of theprojecting ends of said tube being turned upward Within the bellflangeof the outer-box cover, a core-armature movable in said tube, aconnecting-bar between the core-armature and the arm of the switchpoint-rail, an elastic bulb through which said connecting-bar passes,said bulb being secured on one side to the tube in which thecore-armature is placed and on the other side to said connecting-bar,and means for controlling the supply of electric energy to thesolenoid-windings alternately, substantially as described.

7. In an electrically-controlled switch-operating mechanism, thecombination of an outer box or casing having a cover provided with abell-flange depending within said box, a solenoid spool having twoindependent windings, an inner box or housing for the solenoid, a metaltube extended through the axial opening of the spool and projectingbeyond the ends of said inner box and secured thereto, one of the endsof said tube being other side to the tube in which the core-arma-- tureoperates, a filling of paraffin in the inner box or solenoid-housing,and means for controlling the supply of electric energy to thesolenoid-windings alternately, substantially as described.

8. In an electrically-controlled switch-operating mechanism, thecombination with a switch point-rail, trolley-wire, and trolleywheel, ofa double solenoid having a core-armature connected with the saidpoint-rail, a solenoid-housing comprising an inner box and an outer box,a filling of paraffin in the said inner box, parallel contact-stripssupported at opposite sides of the trolley-wire and havingupward-inclined ends, one of said con tact-strips being integralthroughout and the other divided into several sections, and circuitswhich are completed by engagement of the trolley-wheel with the integralcontactstrip and a section of the divided contactstrip, substantially asdescribed.

9. In an electrically-controlled switch-operating mechanism, thecombination with a switch point-rail, trolley-wire and trolleywheel, ofa double solenoid having a housing composed of an inner box and an outerbox, an outer-box cover having a bell-flange depending within said box,a fixed metal tube extended through the solenoid-spool and having itsends projecting beyond and through the ends of the inner box, one end ofsaid tube being turned upward within the bellflange of the outer-boxcover, a core-armature movable in said tube, a connecting-bar from saidcore-armature to an arm of the pointrail, an elastic bulb connected withsaid tube and connecting-bar, parallel contact-strips supported atopposite sides of the trolleywire, an electromagnet, and circuitscompleted by engagement of the trolley-wheel with said contact-strips,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

ROBERT V. OIIEATHAM. WVitnesses:

G. B. WEBB, R. H. YATES.

